There’s a dizzying number of Vietnamese restaurants opening along the Scarborough and Markham border area. Another newcomer joining the fold is Pho Ahn Vu, an addition to the growing chain that’s spreading across the GTA. Its claim to fame: an ornate dining room with fake pink blossomed trees that’s photographed just as much as their actual food.

To be fair, their food tastes good too. If you’re feeling hungry their bún thịt nướng (or rice noodles with grilled meat) dishes are very filling. It starts with a generous portion of vermicelli and tops it with your choice of protein.

The grilled pork, spring roll, and shrimp on sugarcane ($22.95) offered a bit of everything including cardboard thin slices of marinated pork, a hot and delicious crispy spring roll, and a golf ball sized fried shrimp paste that made up for its petiteness with flavour. Along with a mix of fresh herbs, julienned cucumber, bean sprouts, pickled vegetables, and roasted peanuts it’s a cool refreshing dish for the warmer months.

My tip: try the dish with a mixture of their chili sauces. That hit of heat goes so nicely with the fish sauce vinaigrette.

Their pho is tiny in comparison. The special rice noodle soup ($17.95) had a decent amount of protein with slices of rare beef tenderloin, well done flank, a couple cubes of tendon, maybe two beef balls, and a couple thinly sliced tripe, but a scant portion of noodles. So, you’ll either want to upgrade to the larger size ($21.50) or add a side dish to round out the meal.

At least their broth was on point – full flavoured and perfectly seasoned. I only wish it was hotter as it became lukewarm after the raw bean sprouts were added. Like the vermicelli, their pho contains several herbs creating a bright bowl of noodles.

I can see why Pho Ahn Vu’s expanding so quickly, opening locations in Mississauga, Hamilton, and Whitby. Pretty pink flowers, solid recipes, and friendly attentive service. Now this is the type of ‘send noods’ I can get behind.

Walking by Pii Nong Thai, I’m not sure what attracts more people: the comforting emerald environment with table tops laden with food or the bright market right next door. Indeed, the store offers an array of snacks, condiments, and even merchandise. You know what they say about shopping hungry… if you’re stuck waiting for a table, you may end up purchasing a lot of junk food.

It’s a cute and colourful environment that extends into their drinks. The teddy bear Thai milk tea ($8.99) graced many tables. A pitcher of rich and silky tea with a shot of evaporated milk to allow diners to customize its creaminess. The drink is a tad pricy but lasts the entire meal – it’s a generous portion complete with a bear made from tea so it doesn’t dilute the drink as it melts.

The pandan chicken ($18.99) is a great protein packed starter. Essentially a small palm-sized piece of seasoned chicken thigh that’s quickly fried in the leaf. While there wasn’t much pandan flavour, the leaf did add a slight aromatic quality to the chicken.

Same goes for the grilled pork jowl ($18.99) that’s listed as an appetizer but large enough to work as a main. Served with a cylinder of sticky rice, the huge slab of pork is lightly grilled and simply adorned with diced shallots, cilantro, and chilis. It’s served with a tangy tamarind jaew sauce that adds a hit of acid to lighten up the meat.

For something to munch on with beer, the crispy mini crab larb ($17.99) acts like popcorn shrimp but featuring thumb sized crustaceans instead. Almost like soft shell crab but crispier, the fried morsels are dusted with a sweet and salty spice and tossed with herbs and chili. 

For the tried and true, their crispy chicken spring roll ($9.99) combines ground chicken, vermicelli, and vegetables to create a dense sausage like filling wrapped in crispy rice paper. It’s crunchy and meaty with a light fish sauce vinaigrette. You’ll get your fill of protein with this as well.

Unless you really love the spicy Thai soup, the tom yum with prawns ($9.99) is enough to share amongst two. You’ll feel a sting but its tolerable, especially since there’s coconut milk (or some dairy element) added to give it a touch of creaminess.

Having visited Pii Nong during lunch and dinner, consistency is a problem. Their dinner service was stronger, where the crispy ginger beef ($18.99) was superb. Cut into thicker slices, the lightly breaded beef remained tender and wasn’t dried out like some places. Moreover, the sauce was drizzled on and placed at the bottom so you can adjust the sauciness of the dish.

At lunch, the crispy beef was still tasty, but much harder and chewier. They also tossed it with a lot of sauce so that it was saturated. Hope you like it saucy at lunch!

Similarly, during dinner the Bangkok street pad Thai with shrimp ($25.99) was fantastic. The dish had plenty of wok hay and the noodles remained distinct and chewy. The sauce was well balanced, mainly savoury with a hint of sweet and sourness; flavourful without being over-the-top.

During lunch the vegetable pad Thai ($21.99) just wasn’t as flavourful and the wok kay less distinct. Perhaps it’s because we requested gluten free versions for lunch, and this fundamentally changes the crispy beef coating or pad Thai sauce. But lunch was good, while dinner was great.

Luckily, their Panang coconut curry with chicken ($20.99) added the burst of flavour needed to the vegetable pad Thai. It’s sightly sweet and rich in coconut and chili. The sauce was lovely soaked on jasmine rice or tossed with the noodles.

If you’re not in the mood for sharing, the pad gra pow ($21.99) is a great balanced dish of steamed rice topped with stir-fried minced chicken and long beans that’s combined with a fragrant mixture of fried basil leaves, garlic, onion, and chilis. There’s just enough heat and even a side of vinaigrette to add a light sour element to the dish. 

For those who want something different, their Bangkok street pad Thai with crispy pork ($24.99) was a nice change with bite-sized slices of crispy pork belly adorning the noodles. It’s a bit heavy for me but ideal if you’re in the mood for something hearty.

Pii Nong’s pla lui suan ($34.99) is rarely found elsewhere consisting of a full branzino that’s fileted and deep fried. The sweet and sour tamarind vinaigrette and herb, citrus, and cashew salad on top keeps the dish light and summery. Just be aware for those who are weary of bones, you’ll find them in some pieces.

I rather enjoyed the fish with the sauce from the green coconut curry with chicken ($20.99) over top. The sweet coconutty sauce combined nicely with the tartness from the citrus and herbs and gave the branzino more flavour. On its own, the green coconut curry works for those who don’t like spice, just pick out the slices of green and red chilis and you’re left with a mild sauce.

My recommendation is to make a reservation. Even on a Wednesday evening, they could barely fit us in. We managed to get seated after the hostess felt bad for us and found a table if we promised to finish in an hour. That wasn’t an issue as the food came out in a quick but well-timed pace.

Yonge and Lawrence is the second and now “flagship” location of Pii Nong. Aside from the restaurant and store, they’ll soon offer Thai massages as well. Something you’ll likely want to experience before eating, unless you want to be stretched and pulled on a full stomach. 

I stumbled upon the Pho Hue while looking for another restaurant. Ultimately, I never did find Le Pho so maybe they have already been replaced. That’s the danger of being in a plaza where noodle restaurants are a dime a dozen, it’s difficult to stand out and thrive.

Pho Hue has an extensive menu with a variety of traditional dishes along with some speciality items and sandwiches as well. Their actual pho is slightly smaller than other restaurants, but prices trend lower as well so it’s a good choice for smaller appetites. I easily polished off the large ox tail rice noodle soup ($19.95), as there wasn’t a lot of noodles. But it did have plenty of fall-off-the-bone ox tail, which was a nice change from the typical flank or brisket and easier to eat than a hulking beef rib.

The broth was satisfying - piping hot, salty enough, and relatively clear. Perhaps, not quite as nuanced in flavour as some places, it still hit the spot on a cold winter day. I enjoyed all the fresh herbs garnishing the bowl, they gave the dish a bright punch.

Their noodles were 100% better than the complimentary vegetarian spring roll (normally $7.95 for two pieces) that was given in return for posting a Google review. I’ve had better spring rolls at buffets: at least they’re not as oily and even buffet fillings are more substantial than the paltry cabbage and carrot that makes up Pho Hue’s. It’s a shame Pho Hue serves their spring rolls plain… a vinaigrette would really help cut through the oiliness.

At least service was friendly and because it’s not overly busy very attentive. During their grand opening period, they’re also offering 10% off, so the meal was at least budget friendly. Just make sure to bring something other than a credit card as they are cash and debit only.

If Pho Hue were situated elsewhere, I could potentially return for another meal. But since they’re in a plaza with so many other options, their offering wasn’t overly impressive, even though I do like ox tail. Good luck to you.

It was a sad day when I tucked into my last bowl of the namesake dish from Beef Noodle Soup Restaurant. But, in its place Pho Thanh Cong has sprung up and offers their version of satisfying beef noodle soup. Gone is the dark 80s décor, the dining room now bright and airy with comfortable hug-your-bum chairs.

You’ll find a lot of filling and little wrapper in their deep-fried spring rolls ($6 for two). With the delicate skin and ample filling, the spring rolls have a light juicy quality that makes you want to have a second. Maybe I can’t share these anymore.

Hulking beef bones are now the rage at Vietnamese restaurants. Pho Thanh Cong’s beef rib pho ($22) arrives with two decently sized bones as well as a handful of shaved beef. There’s a lot of toppings so you won’t be left with a bowl filled with noodles.

And while the beef ribs don’t have a lot of flavours on its own, the restaurant offers a lot of condiments including three types of hot sauce and garlic slivers. After creating a sauce of hoisin, garlic chili, and garlic slivers and slathering it onto the ribs, they were delicious.

The rare beef and brisket rice noodle soup ($17 for medium) also has a hefty portion of protein. Although the rare beef was very lean so some diners may find it tough. Still, the broth was full of flavour and perfectly seasoned, so much so that I could enjoy the pho without any condiments. Sometimes it’s nice to just savour the beef broth and herbs sprinkled throughout.

Weekday lunches are never busy at the restaurant, so service was attentive and quick. Customers are given a choice of having the bean sprouts raw or boiled and if the first plate isn’t enough, they note to just ask for more.

Pho Thanh Cong’s soon becoming one of my favourite places for inexpensive pho. And to save even more, bring cash with you for a 10% discount. Bone-in appetit. 

I know this sounds counter intuitive, but when a restaurant is plastered all over social media it makes me want to try it less. Too much promotion leads me to think the hype is paid for and I start doubting the restaurant’s ability to attract diners for their flavours.

Dear Saigon’s most photographed item is the Dear Saigon pho ($22.99). The restaurant knows how to draw in the camera: a large tower displaying the dishes’ ingredients, a sizzling stone bowl, and a hulking beef bone that’s protrudes in its full glory. I had my doubts on ordering it, but then felt obligated to see if it really is worth the extra six dollars.

Firstly, the tower: they need to make it more structurally sound. To get the individual layers out, you’ll need to hold onto the wobbly light-as-air tower or otherwise risk having it topple over. Ultimately, it’s a bit kitschy with the only benefits being it takes up less table space and does allow diners to gradually add the raw beef slices to control its doneness.

In terms of the stone bowl, while it arrives rapidly boiling, this starts to lose steam in under 30 seconds. Add in the noodles and half of the bean sprouts and the soup sits as still as a pond on a non-windy day. In fact, I was nervous whether it’d still be hot enough to cook the beef slices, so I jammed them all in at the start. Luckily, the remaining warmth was enough to gradually cook them through, and the beef did stay tender longer, which was a nice touch.

Moreover, the broth stayed hot until the end. Dear Saigon’s soup was just salty enough and was hearty but still fresh. While the noodles started off as a sticky clump, they quickly loosened in the soup and resisted getting soggy. Point goes to the stone bowl.

Lastly, the beef bone. Perhaps the best distinguishing feature as it’s an ingredient not offered with the other pho. For me, this alone was worth the additional $6. Since it arrives in the soup without any sauce, I worried it’d be tasteless. For me, it was flavourful enough solo, but if you need tje extra oomph there’s hoisin and hot sauce available. Meaty and tender, I ended up sharing the beef bone and was still stuffed. If you’re hungry, order the Dear Saigon pho.

If the beef rib doesn’t do it for you, the house special pho ($18.99) was satisfying. While not overly exciting, it contains the requisite favourites – rare beef, brisket, tendon, tripe, and beef balls – with plenty of noodles, herbs, and bean sprouts. The broth wasn’t as beefy but still had a comforting quality. I sense some diners may find it bland, but I found it satisfying and liked that it wasn’t oily.

Dear Saigon’s appetizers were also decent. The chicken wings ($13.50) are covered in a honey glaze that’s best eaten hot while it’s still runny. Very crispy with just a touch of heat and savouriness, it reminds me of a milder honey garlic deep-fried wing.

Wash your hands as the deep-fried spring rolls ($8.99) are extremely difficult to pick-up with chopsticks – even my mom was stumped. Utensil challenge aside, they’re uber crispy, and I enjoyed the combination of vegetables, beans, taro, and little bits of shrimp.  

Despite holding off on trying Dear Saigon because I felt it was over hyped, I’m glad I eventually gave in. Their menu is extensive including a variety of appetizers and even Thai dishes for those not in the mood for pho. But who goes to Dear Saigon for pad Thai? Give me a bowl of noodles with a massive bone any day.